Serving tray for frankfurter roll sandwiches



April 17, 1956 H. slLos 2,741,901

1 SERVING TRAY FOR FRANKFURTER ROLL SANDWICHES- Filed March 2, 1953 INVENTOR 7s 4M M rORN EYs United States Patent SERVING TRAY FOR FRANKFURTER ROLL SANDWICHES This invention relates to a serving tray for frankfurter roll sandwiches and the like. As is well known, frankfurter rolls are elongated, and as they are baked while lying on one side the dough flattens out during the baking I so that the roll is oblong in cross section. In making the sandwich the roll is slit longitudinallyfrom one side edge and the frankfurter placed in the slit roll, and mustard or other relish may or may not be added. As the roll was slit longitudinally from one side, if the filled roll is placed on a dish or other similar support, because of its elongated section it will not remain upright on the opposite closed side edge from the slit, but will roll over on the flattened side, spilling the frankfurter and the relish.

It is an objectof this invention to provide a serving tray for the filled frankfurter rolls, which will be of very simple construction and attractive in appearance, and which will hold the filled roll or the completed sandwich in an upright position on the closed side edge opposite the slit in the roll and prevent its tipping over, and thus prevent the contents from spilling out of the sandwich, and also to provide a construction whereby such a filled roll or sandwich may be readily gripped by a hand of the customer and raised from the holder without spilling the contents.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing: I

Fig. l is a side elevation ofa serving tray comprising my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The tray may be made of difierent forms and constructions, but a very simple and eifective form is, shown in the drawing. It comprises a body and base member or support 5 of any suitable material, preferably some sheet material, such, for example, as sheet metal, plastics, or a stiffened fibrous material such as cardboard, and this memher as shown comprises a substantially fiat top wall 6 with downwardly extending end walls or flanges 7 and similar side walls or flanges 8 at the opposite edges of the top wall to strengthen and stiflen it. These flanges may also provide means for securing supporting legs 9 to the body member, although supporting legs are not necessary. However, short legs are preferred to improve the appearance of the device and to support the holders a short distance above the top of a serving counter, for example. These legs may be of any suitable form, but a simple and effective form is that shown in the drawings comprising angular shaped members of sheet material secured tothe flanges 7 and 8 at the corners of the body by any suitable means, such, for example, as the rivets 10.

2,741,901 Patented Apr. 17, 1956 Mounted on the top of the body member or support are one or more holders 11 for the filled frankfurter rolls or the completed sandwiches, one of which is shown at 12. Any suitable number of these holders may be used as found desirable or necessary, and of course for a larger number the body member or support 5 would be made of the necessary length to carry them. These holders, as shown, comprise transversely curved troughshaped members, preferably formed of sufiiciently rigid sheet material, resting on the top wall 6 of the support and secured thereto by any suitable means such, for example, as the rivets 13. These members are elongated members including transversely spaced side walls 14 spaced a proper distance to support the filled frankfurter roll or sandwich 12 in an upright positionwith the closed longitudinal side edge 15 of the roll 16 resting on the bottom of the trough and the opposite sides resting on the edges of the side walls of the holder, as shown in Fig. 1, and with the open side facing upwardly with the frankfurter or relish 17 exposed. This shape of the holder and the side walls effectively holds the filled roll in the upright position and prevents it from turning or tipping over on its side, which would thus spill the frankfurter or other contents of the sandwich from the roll. To facilitate gripping of the sandwich or filled roll, and lifting it from its holder, the opposite side walls 14 of the holder are cut away intermediate their lengths, relatively large transverse recesses as indicated at 18, to expose the opposite sides of the filled roll in the holder. As these sides are exposed they permit ready gripping of the filled roll with the thumb and fingers of the hand of the customer, and ready removal of the sandwich from the holder.

The device is designed primarily to be used on the serving counter of a frankfurter sandwich stand. It is common practice at the present time for the server to place the filled roll in a paper napkin and place it on a plate or similar article on the counter as soon as he finishes the sandwich, permitting the customer to pick up the filled sandwich as the server turns to prepare-other sandwiches. Because of the elongated and flattened cross section of the roll, and the fact it is slit longitudinally from one side edge when out to receive the frankfurter, it will not stand up on this edge, but will turn over on its side, With consequent spilling of thefrankfurter and relish. With this device, however, instead of placing the sandwich on a plate, it is merely placed on its closed longitudinal side edge in one of these holders which may be on the counter, with the open side up, as shown in Fig. 1, the paper napkin being omitted in the drawing to simplify it, and this holder etfectively supports this filled sandwich in this position and prevents it tipping or turning over, with consequent spilling of the contents of the sandwich. It effectively holds the sandwich in this position until picked up by the customer, relieving the server or counterman from the necessity of holding the sandwich until the customer takes it, and permits him to immediately start completing other sandwiches without loss of time. Because of the intermediate cut-away portions 13 of the side walls 14 there is no difiiculty experienced by the customer when lifting the sandwich from the holder.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. A serving tray of the character described comprising a body member forming a support including a substantially flat top wall and downwardly extending flanges at its edges, a holder for a filled frankfurter rollsandwich on the top of and forming a permanent part of the support comprising elongated transversely concavely curved walls forming an elongated upwardly facing recess open at its opposite ends, said walls at the sides of the recess extending above the top wall of the base member and of suflicient height and laterally spaced 2. distance to form supports for the opposite sides of the frankfurter roll sandwich and hold it with its open longitudinally slit side edge on top and prevent it from tipping over, and the upper edges of the opposite side walls of the holder being 10ngitudinally concavely curved at substantially their midlength forming relatively large recesses at the top edges of said walls to permit free gripping of the sandwich.

2. A serving tray of the character described comprising a body and base member forming a support and including a substantially flat top wall and downwardly extending flanges at its outer edges, a series of parallel holders for frankfurter roll sandwiches on top of and forming a permanent part of said member each comprising elongted transversely concavely curved walls forming an elongated upwardly facing trough shaped recess, said walls at the sides of the recess extending above the top wall of the base member of sufiicient height and laterally spaced a distance to form a support for the side walls of a filled frankfurter roll sandwich and hold it with its open longitudinally slit side edge on top and prevent it from rolling over on its side, the upper edges of the' opposite sidewalls of the holder being longitudinally concavely curved at about their mid length forming rela tively" large recesses in the top edges of said walls to permi-t free gripping of the sandwich, and adjacent holders 4 being spaced laterally from each other a distance sufiicient to permit gripping of each individual sandwich entirely independently of the others.

3. A serving tray according to claim 2 in which the body and base is a substantially rectangular member, and there are downwardly and outwardly inclined angularly shaped supporting legs at the corners thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 166,734 Chandler May 13, 1952 59,732 West Nov. 13, 1866 156,968 Baker Nov. 17, 1874 496,196 Freyer Apr. 25, 1893 815,228 Stone Mar. 13, 1906 1,387,402 Hutch Aug. 9, 1921 1,511,265 Chilson Oct. 14, 1924 1,568,742 Jung Ian. 5, 1926 1,681,589 Levien Aug. 21, 1928 1,723,658 Quade Aug. 6, 1929 2,180,540 Moebus et al Nov. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,659 Great Britain Sept. 22, 1902 

